Old Secrets and New Acquaintances
by ashes of roses1
Summary: Secrets are revealed as a new old person enters the life of a semi happily married couple.


The faint artificial whisper of the ocean breezing its way through her open window late at night woke her up with a start. That's what I get for living beachside, she grumbled silently to herself. Removing the soft, satin sheets from her body, she arose, peering outside to identify the sound she had heard just a moment ago. She was met with nothing. 

This had been going on for a good while, four straight nights to be exact. Each time, she could feel the pulsating waves as they hit the rocks in a pattern of natural rhythm. After each occasion, she had yet to conclude a deep, analytical meaning behind her midnight 'rendezvous' with the ocean she so happened to love. Why did she feel like it was calling out to her, possibly warning her against what lay ahead for her in the future?

Tired of these late night interruptions, she opted to just walk outside and see or hear what or who was calling out her name in a soft whisper every night. "Gwennnnnnn...."

She slipped into her sandals. Untying her ponytail, she let her blonde hair fall freely around her shoulders before quietly sneaking out of the house she shared with her new husband. 

Gazing at the vast oceanside, her eyes caught nothing out of the ordinary. It was an unusually dark night, with a gentle breeze that seeped through her bones causing her to tingle, but that was all it was that night. 

Sighing, she turned to head back inside her house, but not before she saw a figure in the water, smoothly gliding on a surfboard. Squinting, she made out the form of a young man, with brown hair, who seemed to be enjoying the midnight surf. 

Gwen's mouth contorted into a wry smile. Much as she hated being awakened from her slumber, she couldn't help grin and admit how fun it seemed to be in the ocean so late at night. Enviously, she eyed him. The ocean was his at this time, and not even she could stop him. He took in wave after wave like a professional, leaving Gwen awed in admiration at the man's skills. She walked down the stairs of her beach home to get a better look. 

Tired from the nonstop surfing, the man swam up shore, his eyes resting on the woman standing before him. 

"Hello," she smiled slightly, before clapping proudly at his performance. 

"Hi," he sent her a dazzling smile in appreciation, which almost sent her knees shaking. 

This man, her age, maybe a bit older, was gorgeous! Maybe it was the moon's light, or the twinkle in his eyes or how the water had shaped his hair, but she instantly felt a connection. 

"You were watching me," he observed, placing his surfboard down on the sand. His hot, chiseled arms looked very inviting. 

"Yes well, when someone calls out my name four nights in a row, I come to check to see just who it is," she remarked back, breaking her gaze from his body.

A look of puzzlement crossed his features, causing his eyes to narrow in wonder. "Call out your name? I don't even know who you are beautiful. So tell me, who are you? And why were you watching me?"

"If you didn't call out, who did?" She pressed the question, ignoring his. "I distinctly heard my name. And you're the only one here!" A glitter of a crooked smile danced on her rosy lips. She arched one eyebrow to make a point. 

He shrugged, running a hand through his tousled mane. "What is your name?"

"Gwen," she replied matter of factly. "Gwen Hotchkiss."

He nodded to himself. Never would he have guessed _she_ was the town's most popular little princess. She didn't strike him as stuck up, not yet anyway. But he couldn't resist poking fun at her. "Where are your manners, Miss Hotchkiss? I believe that they taught you that, along with other things at boarding school."

Unabashed by his crude comments, which didn't surprise her, Gwen spoke. "What do you expect me to do?" She blasted out. "Take a bow before your feet?"

He laughed genuinely. "I expect you," he said, grabbing a hold of her arm, "to take my hand and say 'nice to meet you.'" He kept his grip on her arm, his eyes daring her to say the words. 

"Nice to meet you," she mimicked, knowing full well that the man before her was too stubborn to let go until she did as he desired. "Mister umm...."

"Noah. Noah Bennett."

"Well, Mr. Bennett," she bit off, "I best be going back to my husband now. I'm sure he's worried sick about me."

"As he should be. His wife is after all leaving his bed to talk to a stranger at such an uncanny time for conversing, don't you think so?" He grinned sardonically at her. 

Gwen laughed silently to herself, shrugging her hand free from his grasp. This man could really match wits with her! But how dare he! She enjoyed that as much as it annoyed her simultaneously. 

"You better watch out, Noah," she called behind her back as she began to retreat back to her home. "That's your half brother you're talking about."

She walked through the door. Looking down at his form, she locked shut the double doors, noticing Noah's mouth agape under the moonlight. It sent riveting laughter to burst through her throat. Shaking her head in wonder, she returned to her bedroom and husband, her mind, even when she was snuggled and her eyes shut, only focusing on the man she had just met fifteen minutes ago. 

"Half brother?" Noah muttered disbelievingly to himself, once alone outside. "What the hell has been going on here since I was away?" Grabbing his board, he headed to a small shady corner of the beach, where he would sleep for the night. He had his car nearby, but sleeping in there for the past week had been a real pain for his back. Besides, he wanted to feel the waves crashing as he fell into deep slumber. Everything would be cleared up tomorrow, he hoped. It would be the day he faced his family again after a four year absence. 

The next day, he was awakened by the seagulls flying nearby. He awoke to the tranquility of the sea and broke into a wide smile. It must have been pretty early in the morning, for he had yet to see the sun rise. 

Close by, he heard a door open and close, and a man stepped outside, dressed in a business suit. He came out of the same house where Gwen had entered just last night. 

That must be my half brother, Noah thought. He kind of looks like Dad, I would say. But who would Dad have an affair with? Plus, he looks older than me so it must have been before his marriage to mother. 

A few minutes after Ethan's leaving, Noah heard the door open again, only to find Gwen out on the balcony, scanning the beach with her hazel eyes. 

"Well hello there," he called up to her, causing her to jump in shock. She broke out into a familiar grin once she recovered from the surprise of seeing him again after less than 6 hours. 

"What are you doing here?" she said. 

"We need to talk," he insisted, getting to his point. "I'm coming up."

She saw him walk up the stairs, with her uncomprehending what he was doing. 

"And just what makes you think I will allow a stranger into my home?" she questioned witheringly once he stood before her. 

"I'm not a stranger. I'm your husband's half brother, like you ever so crudely informed me yesterday."

She shook her head, her hair moving every which way. "I hardly call that a connection."

"But I do," he replied, squinting at her. "Now are you going to let me in?"

She nodded after a moment of ponderous silence. "Won't you come in, Noah." She invited him in with an air of sarcasm.

Once inside, she served him some biscuits and orange juice. "Why did you come here, Noah?"

"I wanted to talk to you," he replied, between bites.

"What about?"

"You told me some information about my family that I didn't even know. Now you seem to know your share. I want you to tell me everything."

"Everything?" she grinned playfully.

"Every little thing," he said seductively. His eyes roamed her body suggestively, causing her to shiver and cover her already clad body with her hands. 

"I'll tell you all you need to know," she agreed, making him think that despite that, it wasn't _everything. _

"Go ahead," he sat back in the sofa seat, plopping his feet on the coffee table. 

"Is this your home or something?" Gwen glared. "You know you are really abusing your privileges."

"Aww come now. We're family."

Gwen snorted, not caring if she passed off as unladylike. She hardly knew this man, but already he seemed to bring out the worst in her. 

"So... on to the story," Noah said in a bored tone. 

"Fine," Gwen replied with clenched teeth. "Just last year it was revealed that my husband Ethan wasn't actually a Crane. He was in fact a Bennett, son of your father and Ivy Winthrop."

"Wait so my half brother is the Ethan Crane?" 

"Yeah," Gwen nodded. 

He shook his head in disbelief. "How was it revealed?"

Gwen's blood grew cold at his words. Only two people actually knew how Ethan's paternity was revealed and that was her and her mother, Rebecca Hotchkiss. Gwen had sent the email to the tabloid magazines, all the while framing Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald, her arch nemesis, as the guilty party. 

"Well Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald's computer, I don't know if you know her or not, but her compu-"

"Know her?" he interrupted incredulously. "She was my best friend." He scratched his throat before adding, in a less enthusiastic voice, "before I left anyway."

Gwen fumed silently. Here was another man she was attracted to that had a past with Theresa. Go figure her luck. But then she realized that she had won - Ethan was her husband.

"So yeah, Theresa's laptop proved that she had sent an email to the tabloids revealing that Ethan was a Bennett, and not a Crane."

"Why would Theresa do that?" Noah shifted the conversation. "That's not like her at all. Does she hate Ethan or something?"

"No," Gwen replied. "In fact she loves him."

"So you're not her favorite person are you?" Noah chided.

__

"And she's not mine either!" Gwen's eyes turned into pools of anger. "More than once she's tried to steal Ethan from me."

"So you must have been happy to hear that Theresa sent that email huh?" Noah declared. 

"Not for poor Ethan's sake," Gwen muttered quickly, even though deep down, she knew she had been pleased when Theresa had been framed. 

"Of course, of course," Noah nodded with a wave of his hand. "But -" he paused.

"But what?"

"I find it hard to believe that Theresa would do that. Unless of course someone else sent the email from her computer."

"Just what are you insinuating?" Gwen threw a fit, standing up, her hands on her hips. 

Noah frowned, but remained silent, identifying and analyzing each emotion that Gwen's face exposed. 

"Nevermind," Noah dropped the conversation. 

"I think I told you enough," Gwen said with finality. "Maybe you should just leave now."

"Touchy. Why is that?"

__

"Leave!" she walked over to the door, opening it. Sending a challenging look his way, Noah realized he had stayed out his welcome. Maybe it was time to talk to Theresa, get her take on this. He could meet his family later. 

__


End file.
